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Every gardener wants to get a good harvest in large quantities. For such a result, certain rules must be followed. Tomatoes are a culture that loves warmth and is afraid of frost.
Hardening seedlings is one of the main secrets in growing tomatoes. It starts around the first half of April. This procedure prevents the bush from stretching to form a strong and thick stem. Plants slightly slow down in growth, but a powerful root system is formed. In the future, such a plant will be able to repel external adverse factors. Hardening a tomato at home before planting in open ground requires the care of the gardener and some of his efforts. If you do not do this procedure, during transplantation, the tomato bush will take root and hurt for a long time, become lethargic and may even fall. This is due to a sharp change in temperature, humidity and light indicators.
Buying hardened seedlings
Beginning gardeners often make the mistake of choosing tomatoes that are taller and brighter than others. Having planted such tomatoes in the garden, after a few hours you can see wilted and yellowed leaves, and sometimes even the stem will lie on the ground. The error lies in the acquired seedlings, which were grown in violation of technology. Most likely, it was not hardened and thinned out. She will be sick for a long time after transplanting to a permanent place of growth. Before buying, you need to find out by what external indicators you can determine whether the bushes have been hardened or not.
Seedlings should stand stably, without sagging stems. A bush that is too tall may have a weak root system, which will affect the condition of the tomato after transplantation. Hardened bushes are dark green with a lilac tint. The stem and leaves should be densely covered with downy hairs. The first brush of ovaries is formed 3-4 days earlier than usual, located after the first leaf. The ovaries are formed through each leaf, in ordinary seedlings – after 3-4 sheets. These external indicators warn that the tomatoes were grown with all the norms of hardening and picking.
If there is a suspicion that the tomatoes have not been hardened, it is not recommended to plant them immediately in the ground; it is necessary to hold the tomato bushes in the shade or in a cool room for several days.
Hardening off your own seedlings
If confidence in purchased seedlings is low, you can grow it yourself and apply all the hardening rules for a good harvest. Hardening of tomato seedlings begins with seeds. With proper processing, they will be ready for cold, drought and various diseases.
You should take “not fresh” seeds, but which were collected 2-3 years ago. It is better to store them in a dark and cool place, preferably in a closed jar in the refrigerator. A month before sowing, tomato seeds should be warmed up. Seeds of hybrid varieties do not need heating. If the seeds were collected last year, you can put them on the battery for about 20 days. Thus, according to their indications, they become similar to those collected much earlier. The largest samples should be taken and lowered into the water. Those that have surfaced should not be planted. Seeds must be disinfected. Can be used:
- 1% potassium permanganate solution (place for 20 minutes);
- 2-3% hydrogen peroxide (keep no more than 8 minutes).
You can prepare the seeds for sowing with an oxygen compressor from the aquarium. It is placed at the bottom of the jar in warm water, above 20 ° C, the seeds are covered and left for 12 hours. Then they are dried to a free-flowing state and the hardening process begins.
Before starting hardening, it is necessary to place cotton fabric in a container so that it can cover the seeds with a piece and fill it with water at a level of 1 cm. You can add a few drops of Fitosporin to the water. For several days, it is necessary to alternate degrees: the day the seeds lie at room temperature, the next day – in the refrigerator, where the temperature is kept within + 2 ° C. The water should not freeze, a thin crust of ice is acceptable. You can harden the seeds with snow. Large samples are wrapped in cloth and placed in deep dishes, sprinkled with snow on top. When it completely melts, the water is drained and the procedure is repeated several more times.
Not all seeds will be able to go through the hardening procedure, but the remaining ones guarantee 100% germination and will be ready for temperature changes. After all the procedures, the seeds are planted in the usual way in the prepared soil and the hardening of the seedlings begins. When sown, such seeds germinate in 2 days immediately with leaves, without the formation of loops. Tomatoes grow strong and strong. This hardening method makes it possible to plant seedlings in open ground 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. Accordingly, the maturity of the fruits will occur earlier, and the amount of the crop will increase by almost 2 times.
Tomato seedlings should be watered every 5-7 days, when the leaves begin to fade a little, so the seedlings are prepared for a lack of moisture. When true leaves appear, tomatoes begin to harden. Gradually, in the room where the seedlings grow, the temperature is lowered by opening the window for several hours, preferably in the evening or early in the morning. Then the tomato seedlings should be put on the balcony or taken out into the yard for several hours, carefully monitoring the reaction of the leaves to the change of scenery. It is necessary to avoid direct sunlight on seedlings to avoid burns of young leaves.
It is not recommended to water the soil before taking the seedlings out into the open air. With each subsequent procedure, the time spent outdoors is increased by 1-2 hours, depending on weather conditions. A few days before planting, seedlings can be completely taken out into the street and left there for 2-3 days. The presence of wind is strictly prohibited. Usually, seedlings grow at a temperature of +25°C, during hardening it should not exceed 16-20°C during the day and 8-10°C at night.
Hardening is possible in a more “extreme” way. The air temperature is lowered to 0 ° C and the seedlings are kept for about an hour. A week later, the procedure is repeated, lowering the temperature to -2 ° C and increasing the time to 3-4 hours. Seedlings can be hardened by the wind. In bad weather, if it is not possible to take the seedlings outside, a fan can be used indoors. Here it is necessary to act very carefully, because a plant, like a person, can react to drafts in different ways and even get sick.
Hardening seedlings in a greenhouse
If seedlings grow in a greenhouse, the hardening method does not change much. 14 days before planting in open ground, watering is reduced, daily airing is done in the greenhouse, and then the film is completely removed. On the first day, this procedure takes 2-3 hours, you should make sure that the tomatoes are not in direct sunlight. The next day, the time is increased to 5-6 hours. If the seedlings begin to fade, the greenhouse must be covered again with a film. With a normal seedling reaction, at the end of hardening, the film is not returned to its place even at night. The amount of watering is also reduced gradually, and a week before transplanting into open ground, watering is completely stopped.
All procedures must be carried out systematically and regularly, then the hardened tomato bush will be completely ready for transplantation, well adapted to climatic conditions and will not be afraid of night frosts. Tomato seedlings should be transplanted into open ground when 10-12 true leaves appear on it, 1-2 ovaries of inflorescences and the plant has a height of 20-30 cm. If the hardening procedure was carried out in the correct mode, the gardener gets strong tomato bushes, an early and plentiful harvest.
